Pakistani president calls for immediate release of aid

Islamabad, May 31 (IANS) Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Sunday urged the government to immediately release 500 million rupees (about $6 million) in emergency aid for the displaced people living at the relief camps in North West Frontier Province, a media report said. “The president was deeply concerned about the people living in the camps and asked the government to step up the relief work with emphasis on transparency and accountability,” Senator Farhatullah Babar, spokesperson of the president, said in a statement.

“Relief and rehabilitation of the displaced people is central to this fight (against terrorism),” Zardari said, adding that “It is a fight that will be pursued to its logical conclusion”.

“The displaced people were the heroes of the war against militancy,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted the president as saying.

“Every internally displaced family will be rehabilitated in their homes with honour and dignity,” the president said.

“The displaced people will not stay in the camps indefinitely and will return to their homes sooner than later Insha Allah, and their properties damaged or destroyed by the militants will be repaired and rebuilt by the government,” he said.

He added that he would seek more help from the international community for the displaced people during his forthcoming visit to Brussels for the European Union (EU) summit.

Zardari said he would not allow the militants to break the rule of law.

The president has set up five district committees to monitor and facilitate the rehabilitation work of the displaced people. He also appointed additional secretary Mohammad Shehzad Arbab as the contact person in president’s secretariat to deal in matters related to displaced people.